Latch control mechanism



Nov. 10, 1959 D. B. HAWKINS LATCH CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Sept. 4, 1956 2 She ets-Sheet 1 Nov. 10, 1959 D. B. HAWKINS 2,912,270

LATCH CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Sept. 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ti .E.

LATCH CONTROL MECHANISM Donald B. Hawkins, SaniLeandro, Calif. Application September 4, 1956, Serial No. 607,905

4 Claims. (Cl. 292-3363) The present invention relates to an improved latch mechanism particularly adapted for large doors such as overhead garage doors.

Numerous types of latches and locks have been developed for specific purposes, however, of these types the ones generally employed for overhead garage doors include key locking means which may be operated from only one side of the door. Thus locking of the latch mechanism from the exterior prevents unlatching of the mechanism from the interior without first unlocking same from the outside. This will be seen to be quite disadvantageous.

Other types of latch mechanisms suitable for use with such as large pivoted doors are quite complicated so as to be expensive to manufacture and are thus materially limited in use.

The present invention provides an improved and simplified latch mechanism which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture. Also the latch mechanism of the present invention provides for operation thereof from either side of a door to which it is attached without interaction with the opposite side of the mechanism, which may be locked and so remain.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified latch mechanism.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a latch mechanism having independently operable end for disposition on opposite sides of a door.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved latch mechanism for overhead garage doors and having an independently operable inner release that can be actuated even with the exterior handle locked.

The invention posesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description'may be adopted within the scope of the invention as setforth in the claims. I

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view of the latch mechanism connected to an overhead garage door,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken at 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken at 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the latch control mechanism.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the handle end of the mechanism in operated position.

Figure 6 is a partial end view of the latch control mechanism in operated position as actuated by the handle.

Figure 7 is a partial end view of the latch control mechanism in operated position as actuated by the re lease.

Considering now the structural details of the present United States Patent 0 "ice invention as illustrated in the drawings and referring first to Figures 1-3, there will be seen to be provided a control mechanism 11 secured through a door 12 such as an overhead garage door and having manual operating means such as a handle 13 disposed on the exterior side 14 of the door. the control mechanism is connected by suitable connecting means such as cables 17 to a pair of latches 18 dis: posed at the door edges and adapted to controllably engage the door jarnb or sill 19.

As regards the latches themselves each are identical and the one shown in Figure 3, for example, includes an inverted U-shaped bracket 21 having outwardly flanged legs pierced for screws 22 securing the bracket to the interior door surface 16 adjacent a door edge. A v -shaped metal catch 23 is pivotally mounted on the bracket crossmember by a leaf spring 24 extending through a small hole in one end of the catch and curving back to the catch below the bracket to urge the catch into a normal position extending past thedoor edge, as shown in Figure 3. The other end of the catch is apertured to receive aconnector 26 joining a cable end thereto. The catch 23 is oriented so that it overhangs the door jamb and generally points toward same whereby the catch firmly engages the jarnb at any time it is attempted to pivot or swing the door open. The latches 18 are actuated by the cables 17 from the control mechanism 11 and a pull on the cables away from the latches draws the catch 23 back over the door edge compressing the spring 24 so that upon release the latch returns to normal position with the spring holding the catch outward beyond the door edge. Owing to the shape and orientation of the catch 23 same is readily moved to operated position by pressure upon the slanted back surface thereof as is applied by the outer door jamb surface upon door closure.

Considering now the structure of the control mechanism 11 and referring particularly to Figure 4 showing the components individually, there is provided a stationary plate 31 which is elongated and provided with a number of holes 32 through which screws or the like may extend to fix the plate 31 on the exterior of a door. The plate 31 has the edges turned back so as to form a depression in the back side of the plate adjacent the door and at ornear the plate bottom an apertured lug 33 is formed for anchoring purposes, as noted below. Adjacent the top of the plate 31 there is formed a circular aperture 34 with an arcuate open sided slot 36 along some ninety degrees of aperture circumference in the lower right hand quadrant thereof as the plate is viewed from the rear.

Outwardly of the stationary plate 31 there is disposed a movable plate 37 having a vertically elongated configuration somewhat the same as the stationary plate and having an outwardly turnedlower end forming a right angle lug 38 that is apertured and adapted to fit over the stationary plate lug 33. Near the top of the movable plate 37 there is formed a slot 39 elongated laterally of the plate and having upturned ends slanted outwardly to form. somewhat of a U-shaped slot. Disposed further outwardly of the control mechanism is the handle 13 including a depending handle portion 42 for gripping by one operating the mechanism from without the door closure and further including a horizontal channel portion 43. The sides of the channel 43 are inclined outwardly of the channel so as to mate with the slot 39 in the movable plate and are stepped in height. The maximum channel wall height occurs at the outward end of the handle adjacent the depending portion thereof and a shoulder 44 is formed by the first step downward therefrom to a channel wall height substantially equal to the upturned end portions of the movable plate slot 39, this channedpor- Upon the interior side 16 of the door continue at this reduced height for a predetermined distance noted below and then end at shoulders 46 to leave the channel fioor extending a short distance to form a tang 47. It will be appreciated that the foregoing exteriorly disposed members of the control mechanism are adapted for assembly with the movable plate adjacent the stationary plate and the horizontal handle portion 43 inserted through the movable plate slot 39 to the shoulder 44.

Within the stationary plate 31 there is provided a small disc 48 having substantially the same diameter as the stationary plate aperture 34 and disposed therein. The disc 48 has a small radial extension 49 fitting in the stationary plate slot 36 for movement therein to limit rotation of the disc in the plate aperture 3 5. The disc 48 has a central U-shaped aperture '1 like the channel cross section through which the latter extends. A retainer 52 is disposed immediately adjacent the disc 48 within the stationary plate 31. This retainer has a diameter greater than the stationary plate aperture 34 with a thickness equal to the depth of the stationary plate back depression and includes a central U-shaped aperture 53 mating with the channel section 45 extending therethrough. As shown in Figure 3, the retainer 52 is disposed against the exterior door surface and is larger than a hole 54 formed through the door for the latch control mechanism.

Additional control mechanism elements adapted for disposition upon the interior door surface it: include a stub cylinder 56 having a flange 57 extending radially outward about the end thereof adapted for disposition nearest the door. The other cylinder end is closed with a round opening 58 therethrough with the opening diameter equal to the width of the handle tang 47 which is adapted to extend therethrough. provided with a pair of circumferential slots 59 through opposite walls thereof. A release lever 61 having the same width as the cylinder slots 5'9 fits through the cylinder 56 via the slots therein and extends from opposite sides of the cylinder. The release lever 61 has a central transverse slot 62 therein through which the handle tang 47 extends and the slot length is substantially equal to the tang width. Additionally, this release lever slot is enlarged and is actually two slots with a common center and displaced ends, as best seen in Figure 6, so that the lever is limitedly rotatable on the tang or vice versa, for reasons explained below. The release lever has one end thereof turned at right angles to form a lug 63 for actuating the lever, as noted below, and is further provided with a pair of small holes 54 disposed on opposite sides of the slot 62 toward the lever ends for attachment of the latch cables 17 thereto.

The inner elements of the control mechanism are contained in position by a retaining plate 66 having a central circular aperture 67 through which the cylinder 56 extends with the cylinder flange 57 hearing on the under surface of the retaining plate preventing the cylinder from passing through the plate. There are also provided on the plate 66 a pair of transverse extensions bent at right angles to the plate toward the door and terminating at feet 63 on opposite sides of the plate for mounting of the plate in spaced relation to the door as by screws 69 through holes 71 in the feet. It will be appreciated that with the cylinder extending through the retaining plate 66 the cylinder slots 59 are disposed to the rear of the plate so that the release lever extending through the cylinder slots bears upon the outer plate surface in slidable relation thereto. Movement of the release lever is limited by the provision of two stops '72 about opposed portions of the plate opening 67 extending rearward of the plate so that the lever is limitedly rotatable between the stops 72.

As regards assembly of the above described elements the channel portion 43 of the handle is extended through the movable plate 37, the stationary plate 31, the disc The cylinder is also i 48, and the retainer 52. The side walls of the channel are then crimped over directly behind the retainer 52 to lock the aforementioned units, as seen in Figure 3, and the stationary plate 37 is secured to the door exterior as by screws through the holes 32 With the handle tang and part of the channel extending through the door hole 54.

On the inside of thedocr the cylinder 55 is inserted through the plate aperture 67 with the cylinder fiange 57 hearing on the'under side of the plate and the release lever 61 inserted in the cylinder through the slots 57 thereof. This assembly of plate, cylinder and lever is then slid onto the handle with the tang 47 extending through the lever slot 62 and the cylinder end aperture 58. The retaining plate is then secured to the inside surface of the door as by screws and the control mechanism is completely in place. The cables 17 are secured to the release lever 61 at the holes 64 therein and it will be seen that pivoting of the release lever will pull the cables to actuate the individual latches 18.

Considering now the operation of the present invention there is shown in Figure l the control mechanism 11 and the attached latches 18 in normal position wherein the catches 23 are extended to engage the door jambs 19. The handle 13 and movable plate 37 are disposed vertically with the release lever 61 inclined to the right as viewed from the rear in Figure l and resting against the stops 72 on the plate ea. In this position the control mechanism 11 may be locked by the insertion of locking means, not shown, through the aligned apertures in the stationary plate lug 33 and the movable plate lug 38.

Actuation of the control mechanism, when unlocked, from the exterior side of the door is accomplished by rotation of the handle 13 as by gripping the depending portion 42 thereof and twisting same about the axis of the horizontal portion 43. As the handle channel turns it rotatm the members engaged thereby, namely, movable plate 37, disc 43 and retainer 52, with rotation being limited by disc projection 49 moving in the stationary plate slot 36. As the handle tang 47 extends through the release lever slot 62 the handle rotation will also rotate the release lever and thus the attached cylinder 56 through which the lever extends. The degree of lever rotation is limited by the stops '72 on the support plate 66, however, the lever rotation is suflicient to pull the cables 17 an amount necessary to draw back the latch catches 23 so that unimpeded door opening results. The latch springs 24 urge the catches back into normal position so that upon handle release these springs 24 return the catches 23 and thus the control mechanism via the cables 17 to normal position.

A further feature of the present invention is the operability of the control mechanism from the inner side of the door 12. even though the mechanism be externally locked by fixing together the movable and stationary plates. Internal control mechanism actuation is accomplished by pressing upon the release lever lug 63 to pivot the release lever 61. In this respect note Figures 6 and 7 wherein Figure 6 shows the release lever pivoted by the handle tang 47. The enlarged lever slot 62 provides also for release lever pivoting about the tang 47 as shown in Figure 7. Thus the release lever may be pivoted by pressure on the lug 63 thereof without moving the handle and as a result of such lever motion the cables 17 are pulled to actuate the latches 18 by drawing bacx the catches thereof. Like exterior actuation described above the latch spring 2 return the catches to normal position upon release or" pressure on the lever 61. The control mechanism will thus be seen to be operable from both sides of a door in which it is mounted and to be 01 erablc from the inside without unlocking the exterior of the mechanism.

What is claimed is:

l. A latch control mechanism including astationary plate having a circular opening therethrough with "a radially enlarged arcuate slot extending about a limited circumferential portion of said opening, a disc disposed in said plate opening and having radial projection positioned in said slot for limiting disc rotation in said plate and further having a non-circular slot therein, a handle having an extension of substantially the same crosssectional form as said disc slot and extending therethrough whereby said handle is restrained from rotation relative to said disc and is limitedly rotatable relative to said plate, a release lever having a slot therein receiving said handle extension, said last named slot having enlarged end portions permitting limited independent rotation of said lever relative to said extension, said end portions being engaged by said extension upon movement of said handle during the limited rotation of the latter for moving said release lever.

2. A latch control mechanism as claimed in claim 1 further defined by a cylinder having opposed circumferential slots in the wall thereof for radially receiving and supporting said lever for rotation of the latter about the axis of said cylinder, and a fixed support plate having a circular opening through which said cylinder extends and opposed axially extending stops about said opening for engaging said lever at rotationally displaced positions thereof.

3. Latch control mechanism comprising a stationary plate adapted to be secured to one side of a door and having a circular opening therethrough, a handle having a channel extension thereon with a flat end and extending through said plate opening, a disc rotatably mounted in said plate opening and having a channel-shaped slot therein receiving said handle channel, cooperating means on said plate and disc for limiting rotation of said disc and handle, a cylinder having a circular end opening through which the flat end of said handle extension extends for free rotation, a stationary support plate adapted to be secured to the other side of a door and having a circular opening therein rotatably supporting said cylinder, a lever adapted to be secured to a door release cable extending diametrically through said cylinder and having a slot therein through which extends the flat end of said handle extension for rotation of said lever with said handle, said latter slot having enlarged end portions whereby said lever is capable of limited rotation inde- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS V Tierney May 27, 1924 Nowak Jan. 1,. 1952 

